Nodosus
by laylarae28
Summary: Draco Malfoy thought his life was going quite well. Then one morning things took a turn. Trying to reconcile his life and his feelings and starting over. Hermione Granger was doing well in her field and liked things the way they are, but this was never part of the plan. EWE. Post-Hogwarts. Slow start. Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

AN: I own nothing but the plot. I am not sure if I'm going to tweak this or not. and it will surely need to be beta'd! but whatever on with the story and I will tweak as needed.

Draco Malfoy had been back home after the a particularly difficult case for about a week. He was still doing paperwork which happily was keeping him home and away from field work for the time being. As he made his way down to the dining room he had this sinking feeling. Astoria greeted him with small smile and continued with her toast and eggs. His coffee and oatmeal appeared and he slowly started to eat.

"How's the case going?" Astoria inquired, her straight brown hair tossed over her shoulder. His wife was every bit the pureblood princess. She even appeared to breakfast in formal robes, makeup and hair perfect. Nothing out of place. Nothing was ever out of place with her.

"The bad guy is going to Azkaban as soon as we finish up this paperwork. It was a bit complex so Granger and I are trying to make everything as soundproof as possible," Draco sighed. "After the mess and undercover work, it's a bit tedious to be honest."

Astoria now sighed. It was then that Draco tasted the tang in his coffee. _**Veritaserum.**_ Shit.

"Astoria, what is the meaning of this?" Draco asked quietly. From her expression, she realized he could taste it.

"I have questions, I want the answer to. The truth, I don't want my feelings spared," she stated simply. "When you were in Germany, with Granger, what were your sleeping arrangements."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. This was where she was going? "We had a suite that we transfigured into 2 bedrooms. We shared a bathroom and a common area. Similar to when we were head boy and girl. Every time we've been partnered up, we've done that."

Astoria took this answer into consideration. "Did you two ever have sex?"

Draco's shock was wearing off. "No."

Astoria let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Am I a good wife?"

"Yes. You're a wonderful wife. Astoria, I don't understand where this is coming from," Draco furrowed his brow.

"Are you attracted to her? Granger?" Astoria questioned.

Draco wanted to fight the potion and stayed quieter longer then he thought possible. "Yes. But Astoria! Nothing will ever come of it! I respect you too much as my wife and would never do that to you!"

" The Veritaserum will wear off soon, before you get to work. I have one last question. Do you love me? Have you ever been in love with me?" she asked. Tears in her blue eyes and voice cracking as she knew the answer she was about to receive.

"I wish I did," was Draco's soul crushing answer. He sat there with his head in his hands and felt dumbfounded. How could he give his wife that answer?

Astoria sat quietly for a moment, fidgeting with silverware and her robes. She was trying to maintain her perfect pureblood composure. "I'm going to spend the night with Daphne tonight. You've given me a lot to think about." With that she excused herself and left Draco sitting there, completely dumbfounded.

AN: Thank you so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I own nothing but the plot. Characters and such belong to the beautiful J.K. Rowling! After review, I think that the previous chapter should be an actual chapter instead or the prologue. IDK. well see...

Draco went to work in a daze. While he would normally apparate to work, he decided the floo would be the best. He walked through the ministry atrium and took the lift down to the Auror Department. He sat down at his cubicle and reviewed the case files and then his notes and where he was in his paperwork. Choosing to throw himself in his work to avoid thinking about the breakfast he had shared with his wife, he worked diligently and quietly all day.

"Malfoy," Harry Potter barked at him. "Get up, go eat. It's past lunch."

"Not hungry," he mumbled back. Harry furrowed his brows. While they were not friends, Harry respected his colleague, and even though Harry was his boss, much to his chagrin, he never let the opportunity to give him some lip pass. Quiet Malfoy was not something thing he particularly wanted to deal with.

"Fine, finish up what your working on and go home," Potter called to him.

"Bleeding hell," Malfoy stated. "Really?"

"Yes, really. You're suspicious when you're quiet. It gives me the creeps," Potter laughed. "Think of it as a slight break."

"You're insufferable," Malfoy sneered at his boss.

Draco packed up his case files and notes and locked them in his desk. He didn't want to go home. He wasn't going to go over the Blaise's. He was married to Daphne. Astoria wanted to be left alone. At least away from him. _Theo's it is._

Hermione Granger was sitting in her office, looking through investigations and complaints and deligating where the would go. _Isn't this what the department head should be doing?_ she thought. She was the interdepartmental liaison for the DMLE, and the DCMC and worked regularly with Aurors, well one auror in particular. They had such a successful case that they would always pair her and Malfoy up. Speaking of which, she was surprised that she hadn't received a memo or owl from him today. After she finished the stack of cases that was on her desk, she would go down and see how he was doing with his portion of the paperwork. _Being division, Beast division._ It continued to grate her nerves that every time she'd go on assignment her boss would leave these blasted investigations for her when she gets back. She was gone for 3 bloody months! Simple things such as centaur briefings and the like was put on hold while she was doing something else. Simply cause her boss refused to assign one person from the divisions to take care of matters.

She glanced at her wrist watch and decided she'd spent enough time going through the files and she was going to visit Harry and see how the case work was going for Malfoy. She needed his report before she could write up hers. Granted the know-it-all in her had already drafted a vague report so she wouldn't have to start from scratch once she saw his details. After that it was going to the Wizenagmot. The case was fairly open and shut. Herself and Malfoy had practically gift wrapped the case for them. She sighed thinking this, straightening her muggle pencil skirt and blouse and putting her ministry robes over to make the walk to Aurors.

"Harry, how's it going?" Hermione smiled at her best friend. His glasses hung low on his nose as he skimmed through the files in front of him. He looked up and squinted at her.

"Slow. Which is good. It means crimes low... but Jesus Christmas! These new recruits are going to be the death of me. They're idiots! It's like Lockhart is teaching at Hogwarts again!" Harry replied.

Hermione laughed. "Jesus Christmas?"

"Ginny," he began. "James is saying bloody hell."

"Ah. Have you talked to McGonagall?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry sighed. "How do you tell a woman you highly respect that she needs to reevaluate the idiots she's hiring and their curriculum?"

"Cirriculum? Harry? I didn't know you knew such big words!" Hermione teased him.

"Oh hush. Malfoy's snark is rubbing off on you I see." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No. Speaking of the devil, where is the ferret?" Hermione asked.

"I sent him home. Bloke was acting off. I don't know if he was under the weather or what was going on. Figured he could take a break. Worked through lunch and everything. Maybe you both are rubbing off on each other," he said. Then made a face. "Not that way."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "And with that I take my leave."

Draco sat in the study of the manor reading through books and drinking. Trying to get his mind off anything to do with whatever his wife was going to do.

He didn't have a clue what brought this up. No, that was a lie. 5 years of marriage. Arranged marriage. They promised each other they would try to make it work. That had been good enough until the past year or so. He was drifting away from her. He knew she could tell. She was an exceptionally bright witch. Not a vapid one, like so many other purebloods. 5 years and no heir was unheard of.

Suddenly an owl with the Zabini crest flew down and landed next to him. He drained the tumbler in one gulp. Firewhiskey burning his otherwise numb throat. He grabbed the letter from the bird and it flew off, obviously now waiting for a reply.

 _My dearest Draco..._

AN:Cliffhanger!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I own nothing.

 _My Dearest Draco,_

 _It has come to my attention in recent months that we are not happy. Our marriage is not bad, but it is leaving both of us unfulfilled. I want a divorce. I am not content to just be a pureblood wife. The ambition that is a trait that we Slytherins are so well known for is something I want to partake in. I know that you would allow me to step aside from my responsibilities as Lady of the Manor to pursue such things, but I want to experience other things in life that the position I am currently in will not allow. I want to find love. I want to expeience life on my own. I have so much love for you. But we do not love eachother. Hearing you admit that you are attracted to someone should have set my blood aflame. Yet, it did not. I want you to be able to pursue others. I want you to fall in love as well._

 _We have spent five wonderful years together. We tried to make it work. I'm sure we could keep going longer, but when would the amicable relationship turn to resentment? I regret nothing. I do not want to wake up in 15-20 years and hate you, who through this arranged marriage have come to be a wonderful friend._

 _I will be at the manor Saturday at 1pm to discuss things and to start packing my things._

 _-Astoria_

Draco stared at the letter dumbfounded. He knew things had not been going well in his marriage, but this? He had known she wanted other things. He did too, but the last duty his family had asked was to go through with the arranged marriage. At 20, fresh out of Hogwarts, with the Malfoy reputation in ruin, the shock that the Greengrasses would still go through with the likes of him was more then he had hoped for. Draco expected to live the rest of his life a hermit in the manor. Astoria had been the one to give him the confidence to apply for the Auror position.

He decided then that he would grant her the divorce. Draco thought about everything Astoria did for him since their engagement. Yes, he would do this for her. He knew she wanted more out of life then he was giving her. Draco flicked his wand to refill the tumbler and drained it. He went to his desk and quilled a quick note to the Malfoy family solicitor. Then to Potter, saying he was taking Friday off. He knew he'd hear it from his boss, but he never took off so he wasn't really worried about it.

 _Friday_

Hermione had gathered all her resources and squared her shoulders. She was a witch on a mission and a brilliant one at that. Hermione spent a good portion of the night before readying her case. She wanted an assistant and bloody hell she was going to get it! Hermione took a deep breathe and knocked on the Head's office door.

"Come in," called a portly, red faced man by the name of Reginald Clomp. "Ms. Granger, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, I am making a request, a formal one, for an assistant," Hermione began. "With the wide variety of cases and departments I deal with, I need a second person. I could do everything myself if I did not go off on missions, but I cannot, contrary to popular belief make miracles."

"Well, Ms. Granger," Reginald laughed. "That simply isn't going to happen. We don't have it in the budget."

"Mr. Clomp," Hermione sighed. "I've looked at the budget. If we were able to get the investigations out in a timely manner and collect on the fines, again in a timely manner, we would be able to spare the expense. If I recall correctly, one moment, let me fetch the memo you sent me, which is dated and time stamped by the way, that is one of your responsibilities that you so generously delegated to myself."

At this Reginald's face began to turn a bit purple. "Eh-"

But Hermione wasn't done. "There's also the matter of reviewing and auditing all of the cases and investigations after their done, from both divisions to make sure that everything that leaves this department is efficient and smooth. We wouldn't want our department looking incompetent, would we? Ah yes, that is another one of your responsibilities yet again, delegated to myself." She took a breath, somewhat for dramatic effect as well as to get her subtle meaning across. "In fact, I've pulled our departments numbers for the two years prior to me taking over those responsibilities and the biannual reports of my efforts and despite the lag in us completing the investigations, our numbers have gone up 30%. Our only complaint from other departments is the timeliness."

"Ms. Granger, I do not take kindly to threats," Reginald snapped.

"Mr. Clomp, forgive me for my forwardness on what I am about to say. I am not asking to take your position. I do not want it. I enjoy where I am at immensely. I am not even asking for a raise, however as you can see the numbers, I bloody well deserve it. I am asking for an assistant, to help me with my job. I want to hire them myself," Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was informing you of facts so your approval of my request would come easier. However, since you didn't seem to understand. "I want an assistant, or I'm going to turn in my resignation. I know other departments both want me and will hire me, and with all this evidence that I have been doing a lot of your job, I will not have to transfer. Thank you for your time, I await your decision on Monday." She gathered all of her paperwork and put it in her briefcase and walked out of his office, robes billowing in a very Snape-like fashion.

She made it to her office, shut the door. Hermione placed a silence charm on the office and let out a breath she had been holding. She couldn't believe she did it. Malfoy was rubbing off on her. Hermione chuckled at the thought.

 _Saturday_

Draco was pacing the floor of his study. His lawyer and he drafted up a divorce agreement and he had set out elves to pack Astoria's things. His solicitor, Willard Benfold, was surprised to be drafting up such a document but had done so quickly and proficiently. His family had been Malfoy family solicitors for generations. He kept looking at the clock on the mantel.

"Master Malfoy, Mistress is here," a squeaky house elf guided the soon to be former lady of the manor into the study. "Will Master need anything else?"

"Perhaps a tea," Draco replied. "Thank you." He turned to Astoria, and gestered for her to take a seat. "Astoria, How are you?" He asked awkwardly.

"I am as well as can be expected," she said stiffly. "How's work?"

"I haven't gone. I wanted to settle up some things here. I can't have my head here with my body there," Draco answered. The tea appeared and he poured them both cups but allowed her to adjust her's to her taste. "Shall we get on with it?"

"Please," she nodded. "I a-"

"I had Willard draw up the paperwork. I want you to review this, with your solicitor if needed." He took a breath and sighed, handing her the document. "Please read this and then let me know your thoughts."

She read through the document and gaped at him in shock. "Are you serious?"

AN: mini cliffhanger. not bad though.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Someone posted that I misspelled Zabini, I fixed it. I own absolutely nothing. It belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

Astoria read through the document and stared at him in shock, "Are you serious?"

"Of course," Draco said quietly.

"Draco, this, this is too much! I cannot accept this," Astoria stuttered.

"Let me explain," Draco cleared his throat. "After the war, you were the best thing that happened to me. Truly. I want you to have the means to do whatever makes you happy. I know that your parents will disinherit you after you tell them. I want you to be able to be financially stable. What's the point of leaving me to pursue your dreams when you will have to get a dead-end job just to support yourself?"

Astoria's eyes started to shine with unshed tears. "I still can't accept."

"But you can," Draco countered. "I want to give you the settlement, pay for a place of residence for a year, and help you reach your dreams. I think, that any happiness I have had in the past is because of you. I just want to return the favor."

"Draco, this is too much," Astoria said again.

"Accept it," Draco said. "I took the liberty of having the house elves pack up your things. I am offering Fritzy to remain employed to you. With the free house elves and whatnot, the process is a little complicated, yet I am quite certain he will go with you. Shall we call him and discuss it with him?"

"Um, eh, yeah. Okay," Astoria said.

Malfoy returned to work on Monday with a heavy heart. The papers had been signed. In a matter of a few short days he was divorced. He wondered how long it would take for Witch Weekly or the Prophet to get a hold of this.

Zabini had stopped by the night before to have a couple of drinks to make sure his old friend was ok. He had been worried about his friend. Theo stopped by as well and they had played a few games of exploding snap.

Malfoy decided answering memo's would be the first thing then heading to Granger's office to go over what he had completed. If he stuck his nose to the parchment he figured he could have it done today and be on assignment as soon as Wednesday. After the last week, field work sounded like a good reprieve. He may have seemed like he took the divorce well but inside he was itching for a fight. Of all the times for that blithering idiot Weasley to leave the Ministry. He was always easy to rile up. While Malfoy though Granger and Potter were reasonable, the weasel would always grate his nerves. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he continued to fill out the forms for the case.

Hermione got to her desk precisely at 7:45am. She sipped her coffee and took off her heels under her desk and slipped on some comfy slippers. Hermione smiled at herself. She was almost overly confident that the ultimatum that she gave Reginald would work in her favor. She hadn't wanted to go that far, but she wasn't surprised that it went that way. Over the weekend she had wrote to McGonagall asking if she knew any recent graduates that may be interested in the position. Hermione knew she wasn't particularly keen on placing an ad, but she would, if needed.

Hermione looked through her date book and decided that she would clear out 2 hours every day for the next 2 weeks for interviews. Granted she knew this would make her have to stay late every night, but she was a practical witch and decided that it was worth it to find a perfect fit. She was not going to hire someone who needed to be babysat.

At 9:30am Reginald walked through Hermione's door, without knocking, much to her annoyance. He sat down and patted his graying hair down and smoothed his walrus mustache down. "Good morning, Ms. Granger. I have good news for you," he started. "It seems we've found the money available for your assistant in the budget."

Hermione smiled. "That's good to hear. I'll keep you abreast of any updates with the hiring." He walked out and she started penning letters to the two students McGonagall suggested, as well as an ad for the prophet. Big net, more fish.

That afternoon Malfoy knocked on her door. "Come in," she called.

"Granger," he greeted.

"I was about to see if you were here. How's the paperwork coming?" she asked.

"I am about through. I was just bringing these to you," Malfoy handed her the portfolio. "I believe everything is as you prefer."

"Thank you, Malfoy," Hermione said. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine Granger. Just want to get on some cases and no more paperwork for a bit," Malfoy said, leaning against the door.

"Alright, well. If I need anything else I'll send a memo. But this is all I should need," Hermione said a bit awkwardly. "Have a good day."

She heard him grunt in response as he walked away.

AN: so we have some Malfoy/Granger interaction finally. not much but as I said its a bit of a slow start. And Malfoy's divorced. I kinda rushed it but I didn't want to drag that out as the relationship progression will be slow enough. Plot bunnies running rampant and im not sure which way to go. There may not be another update for about a week as I type this out while im at work. Thank you for everyone who has read and reviewed!


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